Oil-burner.



No. 822,650. PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906. G. O. CLEVELAND.

OIL BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY10,1905.

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2 I] I Z m) Mr 16 I 7 l0 9 Mai/messes? lnmentar No. 822,650. PATENTEDJUNE 5, 1906.

0. 0. CLEVELAND.

OIL BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OIL-BURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1906.

Application filed May 10, 1905. Serial N0. 259,749.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES CARY CLEVE- LAND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Kern city, in the county of Kern and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oil-Burners, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hydrocarbon-burners, and especially to burnersfor use in stoves, grates, furnaces, and the like. 1

My object is to provide a simple practical burner for ordinary fuel-oilwhich will not clog up, but will permit the use of ordinary globe-valves instead of the needle-valves used in most burners, which willeffect an automatically-regulated pressure-feed for the oil, which willnot become incrusted with carbon, and which can be easily cleaned orblown out at any time.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts, as

hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of myburner in position in a fire-box. Fig. 2 is a section of the burner atright angles to the view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan of the burner withdeflector removed. Figs. 4 and 5 are plans of modified forms of myburner.

My burner is essentially of the retort variety, in which the oil is fedinto a closed chamber and is subjected to asuflicient heat to gasify thevolatile portion of the oil, burning the gas so produced outside of theretort and employing the radiated heat of the gas so burned to keep upthe temperature of the retort.

As here shown, A represents a retort of suitable shape and size.Preferably it is in the form of a tubular cap or shell portion seatingon and suitably secured to a baseplate, as by means of the ordinarystovebolts 2. An asbestos gasket may be interposed between the cap andbase-plate to form an oil-tight joint. In practice I make the cap aboutthree inches in diameter and about four inches in height. I find thatthis is suitable for a great variety of sizes of burners and fire-boxes.

The cap portion of the retort at a suitable distance above the base istapped to receive one or more horizontal radially-disposedgenerator-tubes 3. The number of these tubes and their arrangement willdepend on the size and shape of the fire-box and on the amount of heator flame desired to be produced by the burner. In Fig. 2 I have shownsimply two of these tubes extending from opposite sides of the retortand adapted to an ordinary stove.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the tube 3' on one side of the retort, screwinginto a T 4, and the ends of this T connected by elbows 5 with thesupplemental generator-tubes 6, flanking the tubes 3.

If desired and where circumstances permit, several tubes may be arrangedradially, as shown at 3, Fig. 5.

Oil is admitted into the bottom of the retort from any suitable sourceof supply through the pipe 7, and the feed of oil therethrough iscontrolled by a suitable valve 8. Ordinarily the oil-feed will be bygravity and under only a few pounds of pressure.

9 is a drain-pipe tapping the feed-pipe. 7 and is for the purpose ofdrawing off the residue from the retort at any time. This drainpipe 9 isprovided with a suitable valve 10.

The generator-tubes 3 or 3 or 3 are preferably arranged near the top ofthe retort, or at least a suitable distance fromthe bottom thereof toleave a well 11 in which a quantity of oil is nearly always maintainedand from which well the oil may flow off in various directions into thegenerator-tubes, which latter are closed at their ends.

In the top of the generator is provided one or more small orifices 12 1212 through one I or the other of which the generated gas may escapeupwardly to strike against the horizontal deflector-plate 13, which iscarried on the standard 14, having a limited pivotal -movement in thesocket 15 on the retort to enable the plate to be turned from side toside for the purpose of easily getting at the orifices in case they everbecome clogged up.

In practice with the burner suitably supported in the fire-box asuitable quantity of oil is let into the well and a small fire kindledto heat up the retort and the generator-tubes. For fuel a low-gradedistillate is used, and it is only a few moments before gas is beingsent off from the oil in the retort and on issuing from an orifice isdeflected downward on all sides by the plate 13 to become suitably mixedwith air and ignited. The height of the deflector-plate 13 above theretort is regulated according to the size of the fire-box and theorifice 12 or 12 or 12', whichever may be open, so that it properlydeflects the gases and effects their mixture with the air to produce thebest results. Having once ignited the gas around and underneath thedeflector 13, the cock 8 may be opened and the further feed of theoil-supply to the generator willbe self-regulating, since any excess offeed of oil into the generator will cause a greater overflow into theradial generator-tubes, which are within the range of heat of theburning gas above. The orifice being regulated in size according to theoil-feed pressure and the desired flame lets only so much gas passthrough under a certain pressure. With an excess of oil in the generatorthe oil-level rises and contacts with the hotter portions of the same,causing a greater amount of gas to be generated, which creates acorresponding pressure within the generator, and if this generation ofgas increases and the pressure in the chamber is greater than thepressure in the oil-pipe some of the oil will be forced back through thepipe 7 into the oiltank until the pressure in the generator is reduced.There is no danger whatever from this back pressure, since the gas isincapable bf ignition until after it has passed through an orifice. Theplate 13 spreads the flame in all directions and fills the fire-box atthe same time. The flame never strikes the generator direct. Thegenerator being situated below the flame is designed to be heated mainlyby radiated heat, so that there will be no burning of the oil in thegenerator to cause carbonization, which is such a source ofinconvenience and annoyance in many burners designed for the use of oilsof asphaltic base.

With my burner the heavy non-volatile portions of the oil remain in thewell or pocket 11 and maybe drawn off occasionally through the pipe 9 byclosing valve 8 and opening valve 10, and this drawing offfrom andflushing of the generator may take place even when the burner is inoperation, the heavy residue then being in a state of greater mobilitythan when cold and the gas-pressure in the generator assisting to expelthis prodnot.

With my burner I find that I do not need to use needle-valves, but mayuse ordinary globe-valves, which have far less tendency to clog up byreason of the dirt usually carried in fuel-oils.

It is an easy matter to get at the interior of the retort for cleaningand other purposes by simply removing the bolts 2, by which thebase-plate is held to the shell.

In placing the burner in position in a firebox I usually employ a pan16, seating on the grate-bars 17. The front 18 of the pan projects up toabout the level of the top of the generator, while the part of theenerator which incloses the oil-well is generally packed in sand, sothat the main body of oil in the well is insulated by the sand from toogreat a heat, while the tubes and the portion of the generatorprojecting above the sand are pro 'tected from the indraft which isnecessary for combustion, but which would otherwise unnecessarily coolthe generator.

It has always been a matter of difficulty in oil-burners for stoves toregulate the amount of flame. Hence it is that in order to overcome thisdifficulty I may provide a plurality of discharge-orifices, as 12, 12and 12 as here shown, in the top of the retort and preferably arrangedin an are which is concentric with the turnable deflector-stem 14. Theseorifices are of different diameters, so that each will allow a greateror less amount of gas to pass through from the others. For instance, ifa large flame is desired, commensurate with the full capacity of theburner, orifice 12 will be left open and the other two orificestemporarily plugged. If a smaller flame is desired, orifice 12 will beopened and the other two plugged, and so on. In each case thedeflector-plate is turned so that it stands centrally over the orifice,which is open.

In order to provide a simple closure for the orifices, I have here showntwo arms 19, turning and slidable on the stem 14. Each arm carries atapered plug-valve projection 20 on its under side, registerable withany of the orifices 12, &c. The orifices are preferably made each with acountersunk portion 21 of uniform diameter, so that either of theplug-closures 20 will seat and fit uniformly over any orifice. The arms19 being easily. lifted and turned from side to side makes it possibleto open any one of the orifices, closing the other two to produce aflame of desired size. The arms may be weighted, as at 22, to hold thevalves 20 down, although the manner in which they are supported on thestem 14 will ordinarily prevent any lifting of the valves to allow thegas to escape from beneath.

It is possible that various modifications in my invention may be madewithout departing from the principle thereof, and I do not wish to beunderstood as limiting myself to the specific construction as hereinshown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In an oil-burner, the combination of a retort having a plurality ofgenerator-tubes, extending radially therefrom and having closed outerends, said retort having an oilinlet at its bottom and a vapor-outlet atits top, a deflector disposed over said vapor-outlet, and a closure forthe outlet said closure comprising a pivotally-mounted arm and a plugadapted to fit the vapor-outlet.

2. In an oil-burner, the combination of a retort having an oil-inlet atthe bottom and a vapor-outlet at the top, a deflector-plate pivotallysupported on the retort above the outlet, and a closure for said outletsaidclosure comprising a pivoted arm and a plug adapted to fit theoutlet.

3. In an oilburner, the combination of a retort having an oil-inlet atthe bottom and a vapor-outlet at the top, a deflector supported over theoutlet, and a closure for the outlet said closure comprising a ivotedand vertically-movable arm and a p ug carried thereby and adapted toenter the outlet.

4. In an oil-burner, the combination of a retort having an oil-inlet anda vapor-outlet, and a closure for the outlet said closure comprising apivoted horizontally-movable, vertically-slidable arm having a Weightedplug adapted to close said outlet.

5. In an oil-burner the combination of a retort inclosing an oil-Well,an oil-feed pipe delivering into the Well, said retort having radiatinggenerating chambers above the Well and provided With closed outer ends,

and said retort having, also, a plurality of vapor-outlets of diflerentsizes, and closures for said outlets said closures comprising pivotedarms and plugs.

6. In an oil-burner, the combination of a retort having an oil-Well, anoil-feed pipe delivering into the Well, said retort having a pluralityof outlets of variable diameters and radiating generator-chambers abovethe Well and a pivoted closure controlling each of said outlets, and ahinged deflector carried by the retort and dis osed over saidvapor-outlet.

7. In an oi -burner, the combination of a retort having an oil-Well, anoil-supply pipe entering the bottom of the Well, a vaved drain-pipeentering said oil-supply pipe, said retort having a plurality ofvapor-outlets of different sizes, a pivoted closure movable over saidoutlets and separately controlling the same, radiating generatorchambers above the Well, and a deflector arranged above said outlets.

8. The combination of a generator having an oil-Well andradiating-chambers above the Well, an oil-supply pipe delivering intothe Well, a plurality of vapor-outlets of different sizes for thegenerator, pivoted closures controlling said outlets, a deflector oversaid outlets, and a protective plate spaced from and extendingsubstantially the height of the generator and adapted to direct thedraft away from the generator and prevent the latter being undulycooled.

9. In an oil-burner, the combination of a generator having an oil-inletand a plurality of vapor-outlets of different sizes with suit I ablevertically and horizontally movable closures for one or more of saidoutlets.

10. In an oil-burner, the combination of a generator having an oil-inletand a plurality of vapor-outlets of different sizes With suitablevertically and horizontally movable closures for one or more of saidoutlets, and a deflector-plate arranged over said orifices.

11. In an oil-burner, the combination of a generator, having anoil-inlet and a plurality of vapor-outlets, a stem pivotally supportedon the generator, a deflector-plate carried by said stem and movableover said orifices, and closures for the orifices carried by the stem,said closures comprising pivoted arms and a plug carried thereby adaptedto fit the oriices.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Wit nesses.

CHARLES CARY CLEVELAND.

Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, HENRY P. TRIOOU.

